[The Hwankyung Ilbo] The Ministry of Environment announced that it launched an investigation of some of the waste that was illegally exported to the Philippines but was brought into Korea on February 7.

In January last year, an illegal export company declared that it would export recyclable plastic synthetic flakes.

According to the investigation, however, wastes that were illegally exported to the Philippines and shipped back to Korea turned out to include waste mixed with a considerable amount of substances such as waste wood, iron, and other wastes that did not undergo normal recycling process.

The waste will be properly disposed of by means of incineration in accordance with waste disposal procedures, considering the characteristics of the wastes.

“We are carrying out an all-out inspection on exporters of plastic waste. Based on the investigation result, we are planning to devise measures to eradicate practices of illegally exporting waste, and announce them in February,” an official from the Ministry of Environment said.

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